Swagger Inn 168 - New Year, New Thread - same Tavern

[SisterHelenoftheEternalCatchUp]

Welcome one and all to thread 168. We're still going though because, (like the HBFs) we have stamina and an unending supply of double-entendres and HBFs

Hope any rain held off Apricot. Pleased you got to see the DC. We did similar with my mum, arranging the driveway visits in shifts, and then saw LovelyMIL in her conservatory and us outside. Got home about 10 seconds before the heavens opened.

I have nothing to contribute to a conversation about plants and gardening other than to say I’m sure wenches’ gardens look beautiful.

I’ve watched a Poirot today, ironed, dealt with a stroppy DS2, and had a very long bath. Pottery Showdown final shortly.

Evening.

That sounds nice Apricot and forsythias are very easy to grow - you can plant your own and annoy the neighbours

We also had another squally shower with rain and hail - just after I'd finished another round of weeding. How did you get on with the planting Fancy?

We're watching Top Gear. DS is being a pain.

Morning all.

It's a bit nippy outside, but lovely and sunny. Wildlife report included the usual birds, with a side order of a squirrel being very cross with a magpie. Bluetits are investigating the nest box! Fingers crossed...

Morning wenches.

Feels a bit warmer here but that could be because the wind’s gone.

Squeeee at potential nesting! There are some small birds flitting around near the feeders here.

Remote parents’ evenung tonight.

Afternoon. Warmer here too and quite sunny.

High drama on the golf website this morning. They have to book a slot at exactly 7.00am a fortnight in advance and as there are different societies there's much competition. DH does it on my computer and the battery in the mouse failed at exactly the wrong moment and he missed his slot. Cue much swearing and angst and WattsApping and inference that it's my fault because I buy batteries from Poundland and he thinks they're crap. Anyway he managed to get a later slot when someone cancelled theirs. Phew!

Nothing else going on.

Good luck with the remote parents' evening LetUs.

Evening, fingers crossed for the nesting helen

Blimey apricot, you could do without that sort of drama!

Have done some gardening with FancyMan today which was very satisfying - put some of the new plants in so there's a bit of colour in the garden, dug in some chicken manure pellets and cut back some small shrubs. But the exciting bit of the day was getting the text from the GP about vaccinations - not that I'm keen or anything but I immediately went & booked for Friday. Could have got an appointment tomorrow but lots of people report feeling ropey for 24 hours & I'm too sodding busy to lose time at work this week Soon we'll all be done & can start thinking of a wench meet up

That’s hardly your fault Apes

I want the vaccine too I’m in the last group so hopefully at the start of summer.

Evening wenches.

Bloody hell, you’d think parents’ evening done remotely wouldn’t be as tiring as the in person kind but I’m knackered. Mind you, not as knackered as the teachers will be given how many appointments each of them will have had to do. They were all super complimentary about DS2 but it looks like some GCSE choices need a re-think.

at MrApricot. Perhaps he can buy the batteries then . Hurrah for him getting a slot though —the hurrah is on Apricot’s behalf because MrApricot will be golfing—

That sounds like a lot of industriousness in the garden Fancy. Excellent news re vaccine! It varies from Trust to Trust I think. Lots of DH’s colleagues who are younger than him or similar age (no health issues) have had their jabs but he’s not been called yet. Should be getting to us soon though! And hopefully all wenches will get jabbed soon!

I found online Parents' Evening less stressful - but then I only had to see three teachers! I bet it's rather more fraught when there are more appointments.

Vaccine call ups do seem to vary from area to area - apparently it can be worth checking out the national booking website as the announcements that new age groups are eligible can be a few days after eligibility starts.

Evening all.

at unnecessary drama chez apricot's but hurrah for gardening and colour and gradually getting there with vaccinations. DH has heard nothing yet, but we're well stocked with tests DS was tested again today at school.

Well done to miniLetUs, even if subject re-thinks are needed. We've heard nothing about parents evenings for DS - I'm not convinced the teachers even know who is is based on the previous reports. He compared notes with friends and at least one subject was a literal copy/paste job with a different student's name each time. Though the English teacher must know who he is since DS spent a lot of lockdown pointing out errors in the online quizzes that he had to do

I was doing too much gardening at the weekend and aggravated the pulled muscle yet again so I'm hobbling about feeling stupid.

Morning wenches.

You’ve reminded me that I was going to check that national site Fancy so thank you!

at MiniHelen pointing out quizzing errors. But at your pulled muscle Helen. How are you this morning?

We have rain here. I’ve discovered DS2 needs to be at school earlier than he has been (didn’t bother to tell me) so it’s an earlier start from now on.

I suggest wenches stay in the Tav out of the rain and discuss gardening with HBFs. Things to put in beds, how firmly to push things in - that sort of thing.

Morning all. No rain here, but it has been, and it's all very cloudy and miserable, so I don't think I'll bother putting any washing on today unless things improve drastically.

Yes LetUs - HBFs are very knowledgeable about bedding in and other s Am still lurching about a bit, though it's more my hip onw that the muscle (so far, anyway) I think I'm going to try a collagen supplement that Elk swore by for achy joints - see if that makes any difference.

FFS and MiniLetUs and even earlier starts. I'd forgotten through lockdown, how grim it is rolling out of bed to do all the morning chores when I'm feeling knackered If we're cloning the HBFs, could we clone me as well, so I can stay in bed?

Afternoon.

Yay for vaccine Fancy. We felt fine except for sore arms, but I believe you can get more after-effects with the second one. It's different for everyone though. We're 9 weeks in now and are getting edgy about being missed. DH phoned our GP last week and they said they're working through the list, as they would.

Well done on all the gardening and at gardening HBF-style.

Evening.

Have done nothing interesting today. Though we did have a Chinese takeaway for tea, which was nice.

Evening wenches.

As a bit of a coincidence I got called for my jab today! I’ve booked for Friday too. DH is going tomorrow.

Friend of mine recommends the spray vitamins Helen. I’m thinking of giving them a try too.

Mmmm at Chinese takeaway.

Got stuck in traffic due to temporary lights on the way home which was perfect after a particularly crappy day at work.

Well that was a frustrating day - my to do list (nto) doesn't seem to have shrunk very much at all

Yay - vaccine twin letus

Fingers crossed you'll hear soon apricot, it's weird how it varies - DD got to book her second one at the same time as she booked her first one, but I couldn't.

How's the muscle today helen?

Achey muscle. I'm thinking I may need to do some adjustments on my office chair.

Sudoku's are fucking stupid. (Even DH is struggling with my 'easy' one)

We're watching yesterday's Bake Off. James McAvoy has very blue eyes.

Also...

Fancy

The latter pleaseandthankyou Santi because then I won’t care about anything else in the whole wide world.

Hayloft beckons.

Morning

It's cloudy and gloomy but at least the wind has dropped and it's not raining...
Hope that LetUs has a better day with WorkTwats and that Fancy makes headway on her 'to do' list Also hope that MrA has stopped indoor golf practise. What are you up to wicked>

Morning wenches.

White cloud here. Birds are very tweety.

Short day at least today

Afternoon
Had a quieter morning thank goodness.
Still plenty of bird activity in the garden - have put out seconds

I'm not sure you should be doing all that with an achey muscle helen - best lie down

omg - there are clouds of bloody midges in my garden

Afternoon wenches. Quite bright and sunny here.

DH is practising golf in the garden now Helen, thank goodness.

Yay for jab LetUs. DD got her second one booked when she had the first but ours weren't mentioned.

Wildlife Corner: There was as lady mallard in the garden this morning. Two pigeons and a blackbird were looking at her in horror from the top of a tree.

We used to have a koi pond and a pair of mallards used to visit every day over the summer for a few years. They were very tame and used to sleep on the lawn. Why they weren't producing ducklings I don't know. We eventually had to put a net over the pond because of herons so we gave them the DC's paddling pool which they were perfectly happy with.

At the moment I’m boiling potatoes Helen